-Inside the next room-
Leona and Rebecca entered the next room to find that it was a lengthy corridor that was wide enough to accommodate six people walking side-by-side. It was also quiet, so quiet that the silence was deafening. After being in the last corridor with the pounding blocks the silence here was hurting their ears.
"
I don't remember exactly what was up with this corridor, but it has something to do with the floor. Watch your step." Rebecca advised Leona. Leona had a little more information on what to expect, so she kept her eyes on the floor as she stepped forward... and her right foot slipped out from under her, causing her to fall backwards and land on her back. A concealed pit had opened beneath her foot!
"
LEONA!" Rebecca called out. Leona looked up and reached out towards Rebecca as she extended her hands towards the Wizard Saint. Rebecca's hands grabbed Leona's and she hauled the Wizard Saint out of harm's way. The pit seemed to sense that it would not be getting another victim and closed up, concealing itself in the floor once again.
"
Thanks, Rebecca!" Leona exclaimed as she lay on the floor for a second or two before sitting up.
"
No problem, Leona. You saved my life a few times already, so I'm just returning the favor." Rebecca casually replied. Thanks to Rebecca's timely aid Leona had gotten an idea of what to do now. That idea was to take to the sky and avoid the pits altogether. She doubted that the architect had installed any countermeasures to stop mages who planned to fly over the concealed floor pits.
Rebecca looked towards the floor and then towards Leona.
"
Do you have any summons who can fly us over the floor?" Rebecca asked. She had intuitively guessed Leona's plan. Leona nodded.
"Yeah, I've got summons who can help us." Leona said. She then got to her feet and faced the door they had come through, then channeled magic into her hands before starting the chant that would bring out the Harpy Sisters.
"
O FABLED HARPIES, O SISTERS THREE, LEND YOUR STRENGTH UNTO ME!" Leona chanted. Moments later the three sisters appeared in front of Leona and greeted her.
"
Hey girl!" Sylvia greeted Leona.
"
Like, who's that blonde chick you're with? Did you get a girlfriend since the last time you called us?" Daphne asked Leona. Rebecca blushed and Leona did too.
"
Um, Daphne... I don't think Leona's on a date." Sandy said to her sister. Leona ignored the implication that she was taking Rebecca on a date and introduced the Harpy Sisters to Rebecca and vice versa.
"Rebecca, these are Sylvia, Daphne, and Sandy. Sylvia's the redhead, Daphne's the raven, and Sandy's the brunette." Leona introduced her fellow blonde to the sisters. They each waved a clawed hand at the blonde.
"Guys, this is Rebecca Walker. We need to get across this floor without walking on it because there's spike pits concealed beneath it." Leona informed the sisters.
"
Girl, we've got you!" Sylvia said.
"
As long as you haven't gained any more weight, that is." Daphne commented. Leona frowned. The Wizard Saint just could not catch a break from the black-haired harpy.
"
Anyway, we're ready to lift off whenever you are." Sandy said to Leona. Leona nodded towards them. Sylvia grabbed Rebecca around the waist and Daphne grabbed Leona around her waist.
"
Like, I think your butt has gotten bigger!" Daphne exclaimed. A blushing Leona quickly struck back.
"
Just can it and carry me across the floor, please!" Leona snapped back at the raven. Daphne giggled to herself as Sylvia and Sandy looked at one another.
"
OK! Lifting off now!" Daphne said. The three sisters took off and began to ferry Leona and Rebecca across the floor. Leona looked around for any signs of traps in the ceiling like dart shooters, blades, crushing blocks, or spears, but there was nothing set up to stop airborne mages. So far, so good.
They had reached the quarter distance mark and nothing had happened yet, so Leona and Rebecca were doing well. The floor obstacles were of no concern because the two blondes were flying over them. The time and energy they had saved by flying over the concealed spike pits instead of having to slowly pick their way across the floor meant that they would have plenty of energy with which to face the white blood-covered creature that Rebecca had told Leona about when the former was first rescued.
They reached the halfway point and nothing bad had happened, so the quintet kept flying along while Leona watched for any traps set up to stop airborne mages. After about five more minutes of uninterrupted travel the quintet had finally arrived at the end of the room. The Harpy Sisters set down their cargo and the two blondes faced the sisters.
"
Thanks, guys." Leona thanked the Harpy Sisters for carrying them across the hazardous floor.
"
Yeah, thanks." Rebecca thanked them for carrying her as well.
"
It's no problem, guys." Sylvia assured the two blondes. The two blondes turned around to face the door that led into the next room.
"
So, what's behind this door?" Leona asked Rebecca.
"
Do you remember that white blood-covered creature I told you about? It's behind this door. I'm sure of it." Rebecca informed Leona. Leona drew her Silver Longsword in preparation for the fight.
"OK then. I'll go first." Leona said. She opened the door and Rebecca and the three harpies followed behind her.
-In the next room-
Leona entered the room and found herself standing in a large, square chamber that had the smell of dirt and decay. In contrast to the rest of the well, the floor here was dirt. Scattered around the room were bleached skulls and bleached bones. The Wizard Saint felt a faint rumble beneath her feet.
"
Watch your step, Leona. The creature came out of the ground!" Rebecca warned her. Leona nodded and took eight more steps forward before the rumbling beneath her feet grew stronger and the ground began to bulge in the center of the room. Suddenly a cloud of dirt erupted from the center of the room and coated everyone in dirt, but that was only an inconvenience compared to what had emerged from the floor.
A rather large white creature with red splotches on it and a long neck with a head on the end of it stood upright and looked at the mages. Leona could see no eyes at all, but it did not need eyes to see them.
"
WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Leona asked.
"
IT'S THAT CREATURE I WARNED YOU ABOUT!" Rebecca shouted. Seconds later three arms with slender white hands erupted from the ground next to Leona and two of them grabbed her ankles before she could move and gripped them tightly. The third hand grabbed her head and forcibly tilted it backwards, exposing her throat to the beast.
"
HELP ME!" Leona shouted to Rebecca and the harpies. She saw the creature's eyes glow red and it shimmied towards her with a smile on its face. Leona felt her stomach turn as it approached. She could not see well enough to cut herself free of the arms, so she would need help to escape their grasp.
- The Creature:
[Post Word Count: 1,218]
[Total Word Count: 11,558/11,000]